A Snapshot of the World
by Lupus of the Stars
Summary: A shy, sweet girl with a fading voice. A fiery, blind boy who could see. The clash of roaring dragons, shining darkness, and a golden key that unlocks it all-And in the midst of it is two hearts beating in the same rhythm.
1. Why, hello there!

Rain. Lucy loved the rain.

She loved the way the silver droplets sparkled as they fell downwards, she loved the way the beads of water breathed life into the world, she loved the way the rain was.

And Lucy loved the rain because it was from the depths of the shining rain that _he_ had emerged, leaving a trail of laughter and tears, adventures and peace, fantasy and truth... and flickering flames in his wake.

* * *

There he was. Leaning against the tarnished brick walls, smiling. A white scarf wrapped snugly around his neck, a sweet childish face, and rose-tinted spikes of hair that almost hid his eyes.

_His eyes. _Whenever Lucy stared into his eyes, she could feel herself sinking into the depths of the inky irises, rising into the glossy silver pupils. Even though it was morning, she felt like she was submerged in night. She was spellbound, memorized, enchanted.

So dazed that she didn't realize her words were already tumbling out."Your eyes, they're like...like a midnight sky. Like, there's a glowing moon and it lights up the shiny darkness and the clouds. They're beautiful," Lucy whispered.

...And then, she realized those were her 1st words to the stranger. _Absolutely mortifying. _Inwardly, Lucy moaned, "How could you?"

The stranger blinked in surprise as he slowly registered that her words were meant for him...And then, he beamed toothily. "You're kinda weird but really cool! Hey, what's your name?"

_Cool? He had called me cool._"I-I'm Lucy."

"Luigi?"

"Lucy. L-U-C-Y." Lucy giggled. _I don't believe this...I'm laughing? _

"Oops! Sorry, Lui, um, Lucy! My name's Natsu. I-" Natsu faltered, his voice abruptly cut off by whirlwind of emotions.

For a moment, there was only the echo of the rustling wind as shadows flitted across Natsu's face. Lucy remained silent.

Finally, he offered her a sad smile. "Sorry, Lucy. Usually, I stay away from people. It's been awhile since I've told anyone my name."

_It's been a while since I've told anyone my name. _

Quietly, Lucy reached out and took Natsu's hand. Natsu flinched but then, after thinking it through, slowly slipped his fingers into her fingers. His fingers were calloused and warm; her fingers were smooth and cold.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you like that, Natsu. It's just that-" Her heart was aching and she could feel tears hanging from her eyelashes. Because all this time, Natsu had been fading away-

"Thanks, Lucy." Before she could finish, Natsu had gently squeezed her hand. "Say, could you show me around here? I'm the kinda guy who could get lost in a cardboard box."

And as the sky shimmered, they intertwined hands and stepped onto the twilight-paved streets of Magnolia.

* * *

A/N: Any queries, qualms, or quirks? Please feel free to review~

Thank you for reading this^^ I really appreciate it-

I'll do my best to upload at least one chapter a week!

EDIT: As a perfectionist, I find myself reviewing my stories, rewriting them, and re-uploading them. I'm sorry for the inconveniences and incongruities here^^


	2. Can't you see?

Natsu felt….happy? No, was it…joy? A pure joy of being alive in this great world. His spirits had been lifted up, soaring in the clouds with majestic dragons, hurtling towards another sunrise, roaring out triumphantly.

Natsu had to say, it had been awhile since he had felt like this. But all it took was one girl and a Popsicle (of course, he let Lucy pay for it) to make his day.

But then again, Lucy wasn't what most people were like.

_ Your eyes, they're like...like a midnight sky. Like, there's a glowing moon and it lights up the shiny darkness and the clouds. They're beautiful. _ Heck, if anyone had even stopped by talk to him like he was a normal human being, Natsu would've been happy. So, when Lucy had called his eyes beautiful, Natsu thought that an angel had flown down from the skies.

But she couldn't tell that his eyes were sightless, robbed of the wonders of the world, shrouded in oblivion. Lucy didn't know that Natsu was _blind._

And if she did, how would she react?

* * *

_"Oh, it must be terrible to be you."_

_ "You're so young, yet your future has already been taken away."_

_ "How could you even live life like that? Just the thought of being blind makes me shudder."_

_ "You poor child. My, my, I feel so sorry for you."_

_Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. SHUT UP! _And Natsu didn't know what to do. He couldn't lash out at them; he couldn't run away; he couldn't do anything because _he couldn't see anything. _And if he begged them to leave him alone, they would just cluck disapprovingly and call him a _troubled child. _How was it that he was surrounded by people but all alone?

They had eyes, didn't they? So couldn't they see what they were doing to him? Whipping him with their cruel words as he cowered, chained down by blindness. Ripping his soul to shreds, with sickening sweet smiles pasted to their faces. Dimming the fire that once blazed so brightly.

It hurt.

* * *

Natsu could feel himself succumbing to a throbbing panic, thrashing around hopelessly, overwhelmed by an rumbling avalanche of terror.

All he knew was that he was holding Lucy's hand and that if he let go, he'd be lost in Magnolia forever. His sharpened senses had been reduced to zero in this crowded city. He couldn't distinguish any scents, nor listen for any specific noises, to find his way safely. All he sensed was a roar of mingling voices, a clash of different aromas. He tried futilely to quash the urge to flee, to escape-

Suddenly, he realized...everything was silent.

"You seemed claustrophobic so I decided to bring you to Magnolia Park. No one's around, it's OK."

Natsu let out a sigh and gratefully flopped down onto...Grass? He heard a rustle as Lucy landed beside him.

"Natsu?" she asked, her question tinged with concern.

"Lucy, I'm blind." Natsu didn't know what had come over him; he had just calmly stated it.

"You are?" Much to his surprise, Lucy didn't seem the least bit unfazed. "I know that you can't see my face. I figured it out when I was holding your hand and you kept stumbling and wincing at every strange noise. But that doesn't make you blind. You saw me for who I was, right?"

_Thank you, Lucy. Thank you. _Natsu didn't think he had ever been this grateful before in his life as his throat choked up and his eyes stung. Oh, it had been awhile since anyone had understood him.

For a moment, they didn't speak. In the minutes that passed, there was a musing silence, a peaceful lapse in the flow of time.

* * *

And in that very moment, Natsu was stuck by a lightning impulse. "Lucy? Can I feel your face?"

Lucy tittered nervously. "Natsu, even coming from you, that's a bit weird."

"No, really. I can't see you so the best I can do is to…" Natsu let his words drift away, unsure of what to say next. He didn't mean it the way he was saying it, he was-

A tiny hand gently guided his hand forward, until he was cupping her cheek. Natsu was lost for words.

Then, like an explorer in a foreign country, Natsu cautiously ventured forward. Sweeping his fingers past her cheek, brushing over her eyelashes, stroking her nose, tracing her lips….

Lucy was giggling. "It, it tickles!" She squirmed around.

Natsu smirked. "Oho! So it looks like you have a weakness too!"

"Don't you dare tickle me, you –"

As they both laughed, a gust of wind cunningly snuck by.

A paper fluttered downward, adorned with bold cursive and a leaping fairy emblem. _FAIRY TAIL. THE TRAVELING ENIGMA THAT BRINGS DREAMS TO LIFE. FANTASTIC WONDERS AND HAUNTING TERRORS THAT YOU"VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. COMING BY TO VISIT THE TOWN OF MAGNOLIA THIS WEEK._

* * *

A/N: Any quirks, qualms, or queries?

Yayz, here's Ch. 2~

Haha, I didn't expect anyone to notice my story but people have already read it^^ Thank you!

Once again, thanks for taking the time to read all of this. You made my day!


	3. Hope

There it was. Ivory and shadows, painted with the day and night, tinted with the sun and moon. Trembling fingers stirred and there was nostalgia. She leaned down on the golden pedal and the silence echoed throughout the dormant mansion.

Yes, beneath the plain black and white façade, there lay a complex, intricate world of emotions. And the doors to this wondrous world were opening and there she went-Hands soaring, notes drifting, a laugh bursting from her heart, feathers-

* * *

"Oy, Lucy?" Oh. That's right. She was in Magnolia. Enjoying a freedom even better than the piano. Hanging out with a true friend that wasn't paid to be with her. Spending a carefree afternoon, living.

"Yeah?"

Natsu's fingers traced down her cheek before prodding at the corners of her lips, lifting them upward. "Smile!" Despite herself and all the painful memories, Lucy had to laugh. A laugh that resonated in her, along with the pleasant surprise that Natsu was altogether more perceptive than she'd thought.

"You're wondering how I can tell?" Natsu's voice whispered in Lucy's ear, eliciting a surprised squeak from her. "Nope, I'm not a mind-reader. I'm just _magic._"

"Magic, hmn?" Lucy tapped her wrist and heard keys jangling like the wind chimes her mother loved so much. "You believe in magic?"

"Heck yeah!" Natsu beamed. "This world's filled with magic! Like, how else does Santa Claus fly across the world with hundreds of gifts in one night? Or how does the tooth fairy know you've lost a tooth?" He went on before skeptical Lucy could interrupt. "See, most kids are really smart and know that there's magic out there. OK, OK, maybe Santa Claus or the tooth fairy don't exist. But my real point is that miracles do happen, that there's real fairy tales out there!"

"Miracles happen…"Lucy trailed off. Her father's stern face flashed across her mind, along with his austere words. _Stop sticking your head in the clouds and get down to earth. Your mother's not coming back. There's no miracle that will bring her back._

"Yup! And that's what makes life so great! That you can look forward to the next day because something unexpectedly cool's gonna happen."

_You can look forward to the next day_!

_All these years had been stained with misery. Every day was just a number marked down on the calendar. I just wanted to fade away as days were brushed off, months peeled away, years flitted by._

"So that's why there's hope," Lucy murmured. "Can I….Can I really hope? Am I allowed to?"

"Of course, you can!" He nudged her. "Believe in yourself!" _Believe in yourself, Lucy. Believe in the stars!_ And in that moment, Lucy longed for human warmth. Just for somebody, someone out there that'd be there for her. Someone that would stay with her, laugh with her, tease her….Like Mother. Someone that would miss her if she disappeared. Someone that saw the world more than just black and white and in beautiful colors.

Lucy leaned against Natsu and hoped.

* * *

"FAIRY TAIL! THE TRAVELING ENIGMA THAT BRINGS DREAMS TO LIFE! FANTASTIC WONDERS AND HAUNTING TERRORS THAT YOU"VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE! COMING BY TO VISIT THE TOWN OF MAGNOLIA THIS WEEK!"

They both turned around to see a blue cat swooping around, with _wings_, _actual wings_, bellowing at the top of its lungs. Natsu winced. "Sheesh, why does he have to be so loud?" On the other hand, Lucy was lost for words; she had never seen a flying cat before. Was this what Natsu called magic? A miracle, a fairy tale come true? An omen, perhaps?

"Hey! Are you guys interested in this?" The blue cat gracefully landed on Lucy's trembling shoulder.

Natsu, unfazed, frowned. "I don't get it. What's an enigma? And what haven't I seen before? And why does it bring dreams to life?"

The blue cat snickered. "Idiot, if I tell you what it all means, I'd ruin the whole surprise. You want to know, just follow me!" Lucy watched with amusement as Natsu gritted his teeth and the cat perched on her shoulder, puffing his cheeks and waggling his tongue.

Lucy's flying companion smirked. " Hope you guys can keep up with me, I'm really fast! Happy the fast, has a nice ring! So this is your last chance to find out!"

Then Happy was off, zipping into the blue sky. Lucy hesitantly gazed up. _Strange, it doesn't hurt looking at the sky anymore like it used to._

_"Let's go!"_

* * *

_A/N: I apologize for neglecting my duty as a Fanfic author! This month is filled with tests and projects and such..._

_Any quirks, qualms, or queries? Please feel free to tell me :)_


	4. Is there gonna be magic?

Echo.

_Echo._

_Echo._

Once upon a time, Fairy Tail was the echo of an echo, the shadow of a Nobody, the broken pieces of a nightmare.

But not anymore.

* * *

Makarov proudly watched as the members of Fairy Tail rushed and tumbled about, perfecting their performance techniques, honing their razor-sharp skills.

_Underneath the night sky, they brought Magnolia Park to life with vivid splashes of color._

Who would've ever th-

"WE'RE BACK!" Happy sang. Cana, who'd been chugging a barrel of beer, sputtered and Loke dropped some of his torches, resulting in Juvia hastily splashing it out and a cloud of smoke. Everyone either began coughing or cursing and some talented individuals even did both.

Makarov was not amused. "What's *cough* the meaning of this, *cough*Happy?"

Unabashed, Happy grinned. "Aye, sir! We have our 1st audience!"

Two people stepped forward.

A boy and a girl. A white scarf and blue ribbons. Children of the golden flames, one of the dragons and one of the stars. Almost blind and almost voiceless.

They were just like the members of Fairy Tail. Paradoxically strange children out there in a paradoxical world.

There was a silence as the smoke cleared.

"Seems auspicious," Cana finally drawled, flicking tarot cards.

The dragon boy frowned. "What's auspicious? Does that have anything to do with magic?"

"Promising success," replied the star girl, almost mechanically.

Makarov glanced towards his S- class mages. All of them, even sweet Mirajane who wore her heart on her sleeve, had poker faces. _Oho! They think they can fool me!_

_Well, quite frankly, I'm interested in Dragon Boy and Star Girl too. Maybe…_

Happy, hovering hesitantly, finally landed. "Master! They'll watch us…..right?"

"Oh, yes, yes!" Makarov mumbled, flapping a hand, lost in his thoughts.

Mirajane decided to take action. "All right, everyone! Let's set up everything and get ready to entertain our guests! Lisanna, introduce our guests to Fairy Tail!"

* * *

"Um, welcome to Fairy Tail!" Lisanna put her hand out. "I'm Lisanna!"

The boy turned towards her. "Hey! Is this really gonna have magic in this?"

The girl nudged him, whispering, "She's trying to welcome us! Tell her our names."

"Oh, I'm Natsu and she's Lucy. And if you wanna shake hands, it's going to be really hard."

Lisanna could feel her cheeks reddening. How could she have forgotten something like that? "I'm so sorry," she murmured.

"Oh, don't worry about it! Yeah, it seems kinda weird that a blind kid's coming to see your show but he can't really see. But you know, I can see magic! I can see all the magic in the world!"

Lisanna smiled. "Then, I'm sure you'll enjoy this show."

Just then, someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around to see…Lucy, was that her name? Lucy poured something into her hands. Lisanna looked down to see a huge stack of bills and a mountain of coins. _How much money could this possibly be? This must be thousands of Jewels!_

"Th-this is too mucy, Lucy-san. You don't have to pay us anything!"

Lucy looked her in the eye. "I have too much money and I need to spend it for dedicated causes. Fairy Tail is one of them. Besides," Lucy's voice got much quieter, "you guys really do work miracles. I've never seen Natsu so happy."

Both of them turned to see Natsu pelting an irritated Gray with questions. And laughed.

* * *

It was an incredible night.

Flashes of lightning, shimmering words that danced in the air, a whirlwind of sand.

Droplets of rain, hundreds and hundreds of swords, a metal dragon.

Ice crystals, gales of wind, and transformations in the blink of an eye.

Flickering flames, puppets that chattered, and flying cats.

And beside her, Natsu was enthralled. For once, he was absolutely silent.

But she could tell, he was absorbing in everything, soaking up every detail.

It was a magical night.

* * *

_A/N: I'm so so so sorry! This chapter was meant to be much longer but time keeps slipping through my fingers XP_

_Any quirks, qualms, or queries? Let me know!_

_Have a wonderful day :)_


	5. Welcome to Fairy Tail!

"I wanna join Fairy Tail."

* * *

The next thing Natsu knew, his bold declaration had been received by guffawing and some skeptical murmurs. Natsu frowned. He didn't think they would react like this, these wonderful magical people that had twirled fantasy into reality.

Beside him, Lisanna…was it? Lisanna leaned over and whispered, "It's all right, go for it!"

He felt something soft and furry nuzzle his shoulder. _The flying cat?_

Encouraged, Natsu stepped forward. "I can't see why I can't join," he retorted.

From the front came a rumbly voice, crackling like thunder. "You can't just decide you're going to join us after seeing us once."

And then, words of steel, grating against Natsu's nerves. The metal Dragon Slayer? "Oy, I bet you don't even have any magic. How do you expect to be one of us without magic, stupid?"

He hesitated for a fraction of a second. _Magic? _Then, Igneel popped up.

Natsu straightened. "I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer. That's gotta count for something!"

"_Natsu, from now on, you are a Dragon Slayer! Howl your pride and rule the skies, for you have the most powerful ancient magic in the world. And you must use this magic for the worthy purpose it was created for: to protect what matters. Fiercely fight for what you believe with tooth and claw, with everything you've got. That, Natsu, is how to live like a dragon." _

_Natsu was only six. He couldn't exactly understand Igneel but he kinda knew what Igneel was talking about._

_And he'd loved this magic. Loved it passionately, with all the love his tiny heart could muster. Until the day Igneel had disappeared and his heart had ached so much._

_Igneel—Igneel! Where are you?! Come back…Come back, Dad! You promised you were going to teach me more and then, we'd count the stars together! You, you never break your promises, Dad! Please, come back, I'm begging you, Dad. I'm sorry, I'm sorry if I made you mad but I don't mean it and I love you, I love you, Igneel!_

_But Igneel had not returned. The little blind boy stood alone as raindrops tumbled from his eyes and his cracked heart could not love the world, let alone magic._

_But that was then. And this is now._

"I have magic! More powerful magic than you have!"

"Prove it," replied someone, her dare razor-edged like the swords she wielded. Still, Natsu could've sworn he felt a smile beneath the sharp challenge.

* * *

Lucy stood beside Levy , smiling. "You guys really are too nice."

Feigning innocence, Levy frowned. "Hmn, Lu-chan. I don't know what you're talking about."

"If you'd just let Natsu in, he wouldn't know what to do."

Levy's reply was tinged with surprise. "You're much more observant than other people, Lucy-chan."

Lucy dropped her gaze. "It took a funeral."

Much to Lucy's relief, Levy didn't prod for further details. Warmly, she took Lucy's hand and gently squeezed it. "Fairy Tail welcomes anyone and everyone. Whenever you call, we'll come for you."

"Thanks," Lucy said softly. But then, she perked up. "But I'll be with you! After all," Lucy jerked a thumb towards Natsu, "where ever he goes, I'll go."

Suddenly, Levy's eyes glinted rather…suspiciously. "How do you know Natsu? Are you two close or something?

"Um, I met him just this morning."

"This morning?!" Levy sputtered. "It only took a day to get you two together?"

Lucy bristled. "What do you mean-_to get us together_?" But even she was puzzled for why she would choose to follow a stranger, a random kid who she didn't really know. But he was _different_, in that she had found herself in him, and that they didn't need explanations to understand each other.

And plus, Fairy Tail _did _intrigue her. It seemed like something her mother would've liked very much.

She was so distracted with her thoughts tumbling everywhere that she didn't notice as Wendy appeared with a Fairy Tail stamp.

"Um, Lucy-san?" Wendy squeaked nervously, afraid she was bothering Lucy.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, what's wrong?"

Wendy gestured to the stamp. "Are you going to join us, Lucy-san?"

With a murmur of thanks, and an ink fairy, Lucy officially became a member of Fairy Tail.

* * *

It was pretty.

Those sparkly stars in a shiny, silky sky.

And yes, Lucy noted, the members of Fairy Tail apparently camped outside every night. She wondered why they didn't just sleep inside the comfy, striped performance tent.

Suddenly too exhausted to think about anything else, she found Natsu lying flat on his back, staring up at the sky, and curled up beside him on an unoccupied patch of grass.

* * *

"WAKE UP!" Makarov bellowed at the top of his tiny lungs.

Nobody stirred.

Makarov sighed. Of course, they didn't take him seriously. Looks like he would have to use _that_ again. Sucking in air, he pulled out a megaphone and hollered, "If you don't wake up, I'll stop ordering Erza's special strawberry shortcake and Erza will know that it's ALL. YOUR. FAULT!"

Suddenly, everyone was scrambling out of bed, hastily shoving each other out of the way. "Much better," Makarov chuckled.

His merriment was cut short when he felt the petrifying death glare of a demon burning the back of his neck. Slowly and very reluctantly, he turned around to see a terrifying monster rising from the shadows, malice oozing out of every pore and very very very sharp pointy painful-looking swords flashing in her claws. Crimson vengeful eyes gleamed.

"What did you say, _Master_?"

Makarov ran for it.

Natsu and Lucy exchanged glances.

"She's scary," Natsu deadpanned.

"Very scary," Lucy agreed.

"You guys will get used to it pretty soon!" Happy was hovering over them, an idiotic grin plastered to his face. "Welcome to Fairy Tail!"


	6. Memories: Him

Memories.

Sunrises, hopeful laughter, friendships, salty, sweet, popsicles, a heart, me, you, us, dream of-

Memories.

* * *

Day 1 all began with training.

Natsu couldn't wait! Lucy could.

* * *

"Hey, kid! Over here!" growled the metal Dragon Slayer.

Never mind, Natsu didn't look forward to training anymore.

The fire Dragon Slayer groaned. "Here, Gajy!" he mumbled, stepping next to his trainer for today.

Gajeel snarled, his patience fraying already. "It's Gajeel, kid, Gajeel!"

"What was that, Gajy?"

Both balefully sized each other up, deciding that they did not like what they faced. _Today's certainly going to be a fun day._

* * *

He hysterically laughed as his entire body tingled with a throbbing energy and tongues of flames began licking his fists. He had never felt this alive before! He was burning, burning, burning!

And not only that, he could see something flickering in his vision of eternal darkness when he directed his eyes to his hands.

Yes, with lots of practice and lots of focus, Natsu was bursting with fire and even more so, bursting with pride.

"How's that for ya, huh, Gajy?" Natsu crowed.

"It's Gajeel, not Gajy! And you're nowhere near finished with training!" But beneath the frigid, steely words was an undercurrent of something else. "Now, you're gonna have to learn how to move and use magic!" Gajeel forcefully plastered a smirk to his face. "Let's fight!"

"You're on! I'll incinerate you!"

_Easier said than done._

* * *

_Natsu tensed, alert and ready for the incoming fight. He would triumph this time, now that he knew Gajeel's fighting style well enough!_

_It was all darkness but something was stirring, he could feel it-_

_Suddenly, there was a whoosh of air to his right and a cracking of steel knuckles—_

_Natsu darted to the left. NOW! He lunged forward and flung his left arm forward to intercept Gajeel's other blow. Immediately, his arm burst into flame and Gajeel grunted and twisted. Something spiky dug into his skin and now, Natsu's arm was stinging with pain. He ignored it._

_That's right, Gajeel was distracted. Natsu kicked up, at the moving, breathing mass._

_Haha, now Natsu had him! He heard a satisfying thump as his foot connected with something hard and sent it reeling. _

_Here was his chance! Natsu let his fist fly back, his muscles tensing. 1, 2, 3, GO!_

_He punched….thin air and lost his balance._

_And then, he thudded to the ground, disoriented and vulnerable. "Shi-"_

For the umpteenth time, Natsu found his face pressed against grass and a heavy boot pushing down on his back.

"Let me go!" he snapped, his words muffled by the grass.

His captor was not well-inclined toward his request. "_Maybe if you had listened to me, you would've gotten the upper hand. But no, you had to go and do things your way."_

"Look, I can't help it if I rely on my senses, that's just how I do things!" Frustration welled up inside Natsu. All these years, his senses had almost never led him astray yet today, he found himself lost and battered. It had taken him an hour and a half to get this far but even then, he hadn't made much progress. What was worse was that he knew Gajeel was going easy and he was lucky only to have a few cuts and scrapes.

Gajeel finally relented, removing his foot from Natsu's back. "You're hopeless."

"SHUT UP! What do you know?"

An eyebrow arched at Natsu's flaring reaction. _This could be interesting…_ thought the metal Dragon Slayer. He suddenly snickered. "Me? I know a lot more than a stupid punk that can only spew fire!"

Natsu stood up, nails digging into his palms. "What was that, Gajy?"

"You think you can be a superhero or something just because you know how to light yourself on fire?"

Fury boiled inside of Natsu, hissing and bubbling. His temper was going to bend, break, snap into a thousand little spiky pieces. He knew, he knew, he knew that Gajeel was just trying to provoke him but he couldn't stand it anyway, not when his pride was at stake. _"__And you must use this magic for the worthy purpose it was created for: to protect what matters. Fiercely fight for what you believe with tooth and claw, with everything you've got" _Igneel, I-

Howling with rage, the fire Dragon Slayer threw himself at the metal Dragon Slayer.

* * *

They both flopped down onto the grass, sweat dripping down their faces, panting.

It was a rather companionable silence that followed.

And then-

"Natsu, you're a moron," stated Gajeel rather calmly. "I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but I'm glad I'm nowhere near as dumb as you are."

"WHAT?"

"I made fun of you on purpose, smart one! So that you could get mad and stop relying on your senses. It was a last resort and I can't believe you actually fell for it."

Natsu let out a groan. "OK, OK, but look, it turned out great in the end. See? We're even now."

_We're even now. Yup, me and the blind, unskilled kid are even._ _All it took was anger and frustration on his part._

Out of the blue came rusty iron words. "Kid."

"What?"

"Fight like this, got it? Fight with nothing but your heart and you'll always win. As long as you have a purpose, you'll never lose."

Natsu frowned. "Hey, Gajy? What's wrong? You're acting kinda—"

"Go take a break and don't bother me!"

"Hey, I'm going, no need to get upset!" A pause. And then—"Thanks, Gajeel. Really. Because I really wanted to learn how to fight to protect like Igneel said. So, yeah, I owe you one! " There was the thud of running footsteps.

_He got my name right. _The metal Dragon Slayer let out the smallest of smiles.

* * *

How long had it been since Gajeel smiled? Maybe three months ago, when he'd last seen Metallicana.

His so-called father, who had vowed to always watch over him until he proved himself worthy to be the true son of Metallicana.

And poor Gajeel had stupidly placed all of his trust and faith in the magnificent metal dragon. Only to find himself all alone and abandoned in a hateful, despicable world.

Somewhere inside, he knew that Metallicana would never leave him but refused to believe that anything could defeat and take away his father. So there it was. An unbelieving belief.

Gajeel had been roaming around, traveling everywhere to find Metallicana. But it had been three months and there was still no sign. Nothing stirred inside of him, nothing arose from within, it was.

All. Just. Nothingness. He crouched on his haunches and watched the snowflakes fall.

"Eh? What're you doing?"

Gajeel looked up to see a glowering midget. A _golden _glowering midget with a red jacket.

"Oh, it's a shrimp-"

"Don't you dare call me a shrimp!" the shrimp snapped.

"Hn."

"Hrm…Hey, wait!" A finger rapped against Gajeel. "Are you…Wait…Your arm's metal?"

"My entire body is made out of metal."

Much to his surprise, the midget didn't react. "I don't think you're a soul bonded to armor nor a mindless robot. So what are you?"

"I've always been like this. And I dunno if I have a soul. All that's inside me is a cold lump of metal and that's my unbeating heart. I'm numb and hollow. That's all there is to it." Gajeel closed his eyes. "Now, go away."

"You didn't directly answer my question. What are you?"

_Until the day you can prove to be my true son, I will always watch over you. _ "The son of a metal dragon and a lost, lonely kid."

"A lesson without pain is meaningless. For you cannot gain anything without sacrificing something else in return, but once you have overcome it and made it your own...you will gain an irreplaceable fullmetal heart. "

The metal Dragon Slayer opened one eye. "Wha—"

"Just a bit of advice from the supercool alchemist, Edward Elric." Edward walked away, a blur of red in a swirl of white, leaving footprints on Gajeel's mind. "Good luck."

_Through all the agony, you will find yourself and your heart. And that can never be taken from you._

* * *

_A/N: Finally, I finished :D _

_Any qualms, quirks, or queries? Let me know^^_

_ Huzzah for allusions! Yup, for you Fullmetal Alchemist Fans, you most certainly remember our adorable, tiny alchemist, Edward Elric :) In the future, I will be making quite a few references and allusions woven into the pasts of Fairy Tail. Why? 'Cause it's fun and I don't have to think about it, I just let the stories intertwine^^_

_ Thanks to everyone who's been reading this, reviewing this, favoriting this-It makes a difference to me._

_ Ever notice how we use 'love' so often to the extent that it loses its meaning?_

_ Let's keep love alive._


	7. Memories: Her

Memories.

Sunrises, hopeful laughter, friendships, salty, sweet, popsicles, a heart, me, you, us, dream of-

Memories.

* * *

Day 1 began with training.

Natsu couldn't wait! Lucy could.

* * *

"How are you, my love?" rang a sleek, honeyed voice. Lucy looked up to see a sauntering Loke, complete with sunglasses and sparkles.

How was she supposed to react to a situation like this? "I'm….well, thank you." Loke winked at her, smirking.

Thankfully, Mirajane was there to spare Lucy, albeit a rather hesitant one. "Um, Loke-san, this is Lucy-san….a mage…with keys."

The atmosphere dropped several degrees as Loke tensed. Suddenly, flat, cold irises appraised Lucy behind the sunglasses. "I see," he stated in a voice devoid of any emotion, so different from his warm, gushing voice from before.

Lucy questioningly glanced at Mirajane, who offered her a sad smile and quiet words. "All of Fairy Tail have painful pasts. It's up to the individual mage on how to live their life after they've fallen down."

If he had heard, he didn't let it show. Loke nodded to Lucy, a jerky robotic motion, before walking away. He did not look back.

Lucy was left with scattered puzzle pieces and a baffled mind.

* * *

It had already been a few minutes and Lucy's palms were slippery with sweat. All this time, she had been wondering what atrocious crime she had to atone for in order to gain Loke's trust and acceptance. Unlike Natsu, Loke didn't seem to be receptive to Lucy's emotions and thoughts at all.

He just sat there, gazing off into the distance, occasionally lighting his fingers with a golden flame. Golden flames…Where had she seen or heard of that before? Never mind, she had to focus on this first.

She sighed and took out the jangling keys, resting them on her palm and inspecting them.

They glinted in the sunlight, these keys inscribed with archaic symbols. Sometimes, they trembled in her palm, as if yearning to release the magic within. But other than that, they were just regular ordinary keys. ….No, they were special because they were Mom's. And that made a world of difference. But what to do? Her mother had never given her any instructions on what to do with these keys, only that "They're waiting to welcome you and become your friends." At least five different questions sprang up from the ambiguous statement.

_Mom-_Lucy mustered up the courage for a stuttering question. "L-l-loke, w-what makes these keys so special?"

She could've sworn a small smile had flitted onto Loke's face. Could've sworn because in the blink of an eye, it disappeared. "These keys open the doors to celestial spirits. All kinds of celestial spirits that come from myths and legends." Lucy could hear her mother. Her mother, most alive with her sparkling eyes and passionate story-telling, emotion embedded in every hushed word. _That's right, Lucy. In this world, there are hundreds and hundreds of doors and each one leads to special, important memories. _

"As in?"

"The 12 spirits of the Zodiac. They're the most powerful and rarest. Unlike the others, they're golden keys." _Once upon a time, there lived a kingdom in the starry skies. A kingdom, ruled by the Celestial Spirit King, and 12 princesses and princes. These 12 had very unique powers. _

That made sense at least. "So, that means I have…Aries, Aquarius, Taurus, Gemini, Scorpio, Capricorn, Cancer, Virgo, Sagittarius…. And I'm missing Libra, Pisces, and Leo." _Pisces was actually two fishes, Lucy! Would you say Pisces is one or two? They were like Yin and Yang, black and white. There was also Libra, the veiled dancer, who could play with gravity. Oh, and Leo! Leo, the brave, loyal lion. He fought with the flames of the sun. _

The puzzle pieces all slid together. Lucy sat down. "Loke, tell me a story. A story about the brave, loyal lion called Leo."

Loke's sunglasses clattered to the ground and she looked into astonished golden-black eyes. The eyes of a lion.

A shaky breath. He sat down beside her. And then—"Once upon a time, there lived the Celestial Spirit named Leo."

* * *

"I should be able to do whatever I want to my spirits."

Echoing through Leo's thoughts, a resonating, cruel malice that drove itself into his skull.

_My spirits are mine. They're not anyone's but mine and I can do anything I want with them._

His life…Just another of Karen's toys. Sooner or later, she would toss him away, when he no longer served his purpose. Because he and Aries were just another asset to her toolbox. The most Karen had ever done for them was to leave them alone. But if they malfunctioned, they broke…Well; Karen never took kindly to that. She would work herself into a frenzied rage. Break. Destroy. Like what she was doing right now.

"Aries, you-"There was a crash and a keening wail. Aries was flung into the air, slamming into the wall with a sickening thud. Tears welled in Aries' terrified eyes as she whispered, "Please, no!"

He couldn't watch anymore, he had to do something. It was foolish, Leo knew, but it was worth it. "Let's trade." And as the gentle lamb faded away with a shining gratitude, the fierce lion padded into view.

"Karen, you have to stop."

Leo couldn't remember anything else after that. Just a rippling whip, flashes of white-hot pain and his rapidly disappearing trust in Celestial mages. When he next woke up, he was greeted with terrible news.

"Karen's dead." Leo sat there, stunned. _No, this can't be happening, please, no. It wasn't supposed to be like this, I never wanted her dead, I only wanted her to understand…to realize that we all have thoughts and feelings…Why, why did it have to turn out like this? _ Tears dripped down his cheeks as his back stung.

But what hurt the most was his heart.

* * *

A deafening silence. Lucy was quietly crying. Crying for _him_. Loke knew that he could trust her. He knew that now as he pulled off his shirt and turned for her to see.

Lucy let out a horrified gasp. Loke's back was covered with battlefield of crimson crisscrossing scars, lashes that burned with agony, all the pain inflicted on him by Karen's whip. The once smooth, pale skin was now rugged and ridged. But as time passed by, it had healed. In the end, Loke became stronger.

Lucy leaned over, finger gently tracing over one particularly long scar that stretched from his shoulder to the middle of his back. There was a small pause. And then, Loke felt Lucy's lips brush against his shoulder, at the tip of his scar, where his Fairy Tail stamp was.

Before Loke could react, she was racing away, shouting, "Thanks, Loke!"

Bemusedly, Loke rubbed his shoulder, deciding that he liked Lucy.

* * *

"Say, Lucy-" Natsu whispered.

"What?" hissed Lucy irritably, regretting it seconds later at Natsu's deflated expression. She sighed. "Sorry, Natsu. It's already midnight and I wanted to catch up on sleep." The two of them seemed to be the only ones awake among the gentle snores and incoherent mumbles. They had chosen the base of the oak tree as their sleeping spot and were both leaning against the tree trunk, side by side. Lucy had just closed her eyes when Natsu began talking.

There was a moment of hovering hesitancy. And then- "People fight to protect what matters to them, right?"

"Yeah," she uncertainly replied. "Yeah."

"What if someone tries to protect something and gets really hurt or maybe even dies? You think it's worth it then? I do..."

_The scars on Loke's back. Mother's pale hand, dangling from the edge of the coffin, no longer outstretched. _Lucy risked betraying her feelings but managed to murmur a "Yeah. Maybe it's worth even more, seeing how they died, knowing they protected what they loved."

Natsu drummed his fingers, apparently in deep thought. "Yeah, I would want to die like that. So, who would I fight for? Igneel, of course, but he's disappeared…Hmn, can't think of anyone else at the moment." A pause. Then he brightened up. "I have you!"

Lucy felt a spark of warmth, easing the numbness tingling in her fingers.

"Natsu, listen to me." Natsu turned towards her. "I can't be the only one. You have to find other people, other people that love you and other people that you love. They're all waiting for you somewhere in this big, big world. Do you hear me?" _Because I was waiting for a hero all along. And it took me so long to find one but you're here right now. _

"Yeah. "

"Let's make a promise. A promise that we'll give it our all to anyone or anything we want to protect. And we'll keep going and never give up! And if one of us breaks the promise, the other one will have to keep going."

In the darkness, Natsu beamed. "I'm all fired up!" Their pinkies latched onto each other.

A few minutes stumbled by as the two remained silent, not sure of what to say or do next.

"It's chilly out here," Lucy finally murmured.

Suddenly, Natsu's lithe arms wrapped around Lucy, pulling her into a sweet, nostalgic warmth. A soft whisper tickling her ear._ To keep you warm. You can let go. _The days, months, years acquired seem to drop away and Lucy was again, an innocent, naïve child. Only this time, she had her hero by her side. Lucy's fingers curled, digging into fabric, and she tucked her head underneath Natsu's chin. They curled up together like this, listening to the same beating heart of a living promise and falling asleep as one.

* * *

_A/N: Any quirks, qualms, or queries? Let me know ^^_

_Yup, I know it's NaLu. Lucy had kissed Loke's scar to reach out into the depths of his soul. It's like the ethereal, delicate bond between two strangers._

_Haha, I'm concerned about whether the NaLu scene fits into the context of the entire situation :P Not to mention that I've never ventured this far in the romance department so I'm not quite as experienced when describing these moments._

_I will be leaving in July and returning in August so it means this story will lie dormant for a month. That's why I uploaded an ultra-mega-huge chapter like this :)_

_Thank you all :D_

_An individual will only appear once in the entire history of the universe._  
_And in the blink of an eye, they'll disappear._  
_We._  
_Have-_  
_Thoughts. Emotions. Dreams. Loves. _  
_Shattered memories. Silver puzzle pieces. Shadowed keys._  
_We._  
_Just wish that we could be loved._  
_A wish. Upon an evening star._  
_With these hands, let's reach for the drifting wish._  
_And breathe life into it so it will become the truth_


	8. Setting up the dominoes

Memories.

Sunrises, hopeful laughter, friendships, salty, sweet, popsicles, a heart, me, you, us, dream of-

Memories.

Even after eternal sleep, there will be these memories strewn around, drifting in the wind, caught by tiny palms.

* * *

The flaps of the striped tent billowed out as gusts of wind raced through, revealing…Who knows what?

Erza stepped up beside Lucy, with a slight smile and a twinkle in her eyes. "Ready?"

A hasty nod. So far, Lucy had never been inside the tent itself. Maybe, in training with Loke, she might've passed by, or during the night, might've seen its outstretched silhouette. But never inside. "What exactly do you guys have the tent for if everyone sleeps outside?"

"It's true, we sleep outside every night, regardless of rain or shine. You've been lucky enough to face fair weather at night," Erza added, amused at Lucy's now horrified expression. "And we perform out here. But we leave the tent for our…special possessions."

"Hmn?"

"Master Makarov claims that this tent holds all the precious secrets of Fairy Tail and told us we should keep ours in here too." Lucy opened her mouth to ask any more questions, but Erza just shook her head and beckoned her in.

It was….beautiful. The main entrance.

From the tent's ceiling hung the strangest trinkets, glittering and glistening. They sparkled with worldly mysteries, glints of light catching life. So fragile but they seemed unbreakable too.

There was a breeze and Erza's lilting voice fell and rose with the jingling of the trinkets.

"Do fairies have tails? Who knows. But as Fairy Tail, we wander, forever in search of adventure and mystery. And our journeys, we happen upon unforgettable worlds, upon unforgettable people. These here are bits and pieces of the memories of it all." Erza's words were quieter now, but with a firmness. "It's a promise. That one day, we'll meet again. That, we know of."

"Erza-san..." Lucy breathed.

Erza turned to look at Lucy. "What is it, Lucy?"

"I forgot how to say it. But I'll tell you one day."

"And I'll be waiting," Erza replied. Without looking back, she strode ahead.

"W-wait, Erza! Didn't you just say you were going to wait?!" Lucy hollered, before chasing after the scarlet knight.

* * *

Inside certainly was more boisterous.

* * *

"GO, MANLY MEN!" Elfman bellowed as Loke groaned, "Again?"

Natsu gritted his teeth, elbow digging against the table. "Ready to lose again, weird pervert?!"

"Dream on, Tabasco idiot!" Gray snapped back, muscles visibly tensing. Nearby, Juvia leaned in, eyes round.

Both of them leaned in across the table, beads of sweat clinging to their forehead, hissing-

As they arm-wrestled for the 17th time in a row.

"Go, go, go, Natsu!" Happy and Romeo cheered. Charle shot them a disgruntled look and Wendy giggled.

"Seriously," Wakaba muttered. "They're so noisy. Can't anything be peaceful around here?"

"Nope!" replied Macao rather cheerfully. "Drink up! Right, Cana-chan?"

All three of them clinked their glasses of beer.

Ah, just a normal day at Fairy Tail….

* * *

Not so normal to Lucy, though, as she gaped incredulously.

Mismatched chairs strewn haphazardly and cluttered tables along with ensuing chaos. Everywhere, people were challenging each other, chatting animatedly, sipping contentedly at their drinks….

Erza nudged Lucy forward towards the corner, stopping in front of a large shelf. Intrigued, Lucy glanced up to see all sorts of objects occupying the space, labeled with names.

"This is where we keep anything important. Ah, looks like someone's already prepared yours." Erza pointed to an empty space that looked like it had been recently cleaned and neatly labeled in cursive 'Lucy'. A note had been taped by her name: _Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy-chan! We're all family here; make yourself at home 3. -Levy_

"Someone did this for me?" Lucy whispered, suddenly finding her eyes blurring and her throat aching.

"Yes. After all, you are one of us, right? Do you have anything important to put here?"

Lucy shook her head. "Everything that's important to me is right here."

"Indeed," Erza murmured. She rested her armored hand on Lucy's shoulder for a moment before turning to go hunt for any miscreants.

"Lucy-chan!" shouted Laki. "Wanna play cards with us?" Beside her, Lisanna, Levy, and Bisca waved.

_Can I…Can I really have friends?_

Lucy wiped her eyes and headed towards the girls with a big smile.

* * *

Outside the tent, Laxus slipped off his headphones as a shadow approached him.

"Hey, gramps. What are you doing here?"

Makarov sighed. "Insolent brat, I'm just taking a stroll. And you?"

"None of your business."

"Respect your elders," Makarov chided gently.

"Sure, sure," Laxus mumbled.

There was a slight pause.

And then—"Oy, gramps, do you feel it?"

Makarov nodded. "Something's coming up. Might be related to our debut at Magnolia tomorrow." He sighed resignedly. "Well, Fairy Tail always charges head-first into trouble. We're Fairy Tail, after all. Everything'll turn out just fine."

* * *

Posters fluttered around, caught and flung by the gusts of wind, tumbling throughout the town of Magnolia.

From an alleyway, a hand deftly plucked a paper before sliding back into the shadows.

The owner of the hand smirked, pearly teeth glinting in the darkness. A pink tongue swiped against lips.  
"Fairy Tail. Finally."

"Sting-kun's gonna beat Natsu!"

"Frosch thinks so too! Also, Frosch thinks that Rogue will beat Gajeel Redfox!"

"Hn."

* * *

"7. I like the number 7."

"Hmph, you don't even know half of how powerful that number is, do you?"

The two squinted up at the night sky.

"Is? Is the sun going to go away? Soon?"

"Hmph. Soon's not 7 months for you, is it? The world might think so. On that very day of the solar eclipse, history will be entirely rewritten."

* * *

A/N: _Any quirks, queries, or qualms? Let me know!_

_T-T I'm soooooo sorry! This was updated terribly lately, I'm sorry! Haha, but you all are wonderful people so I hope that I will be eventually forgiven :P_

_Thank you so much for your patience and your encouragement^^_

_This chapter's indeed setting up the dominoes. Not much action this time. _

_Many of you noted my poem at the end of Chapter 7...It made me very happy :)_

_With jade eyes_

_They stare glassily_

_Their minds know naught but their own pearl._

_Faces, __a blur, a firefly in the face of a hurtling train._

_Names, a jumble of letters, a stack of toppling alphabet blocks._

_My life, a vapid chain of events, dominoes scattered._

_But maybe one day, they'll notice __an evening in June __or the towers of words __and perhaps the fallen petals._


	9. The 1st Domino

Thump. Thump. Thump. Natsu anxiously paced around, leaving a trail of dust in his wake as thoughts darted across his mind. He had to keep reminding himself of the hours of practice he had with Gajeel, then Gray, then Lucy (time had slipped out of his fingers so quickly!) He would be fine, he would be fine, he would be great, he would be awesome-

Leaning against a chair, Gray watched Natsu with amusement. "Nervous for tonight's performance?"

"As if!" Natsu flung his hands up with a loud, brash laugh. "I'm fired up, of course!"

Raising an eyebrow, Gray only smirked. "You're a horrible liar."

Natsu only cracked his knuckles. "What was that, ice stripper?"

"Don't insult me when I'm trying to help you, hot-headed moron!"

"Gu—uys.."

Both whirled around. Natsu blinked as he slowly registered the presence…the presences of….

Lisanna and Happy.

Natsu gulped. "What? It's starting already?!"

Lisanna giggled. "No, silly, I just wanted to check up on you and Gray." Natsu immediately exhaled, slumping back against a chair, and Happy soared over, landing on his shoulder. Lisanna's lips quirked up. "Looks like someone's got a bit of stage fright, huh?"

_What was with everyone?! He definitely wasn't scared for tonight's performance or anything!_

…_Yeah, right._

* * *

Actually, Natsu's stomach churned at the thought of tonight's performance.

Ever since Igneel had left, most people had become background to Natsu. Like nothing but distorted voices echoing through the shadows. Before, when he was bored, he liked listening to all the conversations floating around. It was interesting! And fun! Natsu liked to think of himself as a flash of flames, flitting in and out of people's lives in the blink of an eye.

But when those voices had learned about his blindness, they were twisted with pity, their warped words writhing into the pit of his hollow heart and sinking their teeth into his flickering core.

"_You're the son of a dragon. The son of Igneel. _My _son. But that's not enough."_

_Natsu scratched his head. "What do you mean, that's not enough? If everyone called me Igneel's son, I'd be so happy! And proud too!" He toothily beamed at Igneel._

_Igneel only laughed his rumbling laughter. "You can take the surname of Dragneel but you'll always be Natsu. Be proud to be yourself." His gleaming golden eyes regarded Natsu solemnly. "No matter who you are. Howl your name to the heavens! Take to the skies! YOU ARE NATSU!"_

"_I AM NATSU!" Natsu shouted._

"_Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Stand tall and proud, so that everyone can look you in the eye." _

But their voices crushed him, choking him until he was disappearing into the shadows…

But Fairy Tail had changed that.

_Fairy Tail was awesome, after all! _ Natsu had to grin at the thought. _A weird awesome but awesome anyway_. Because they were family. Because they cared. Because even though he was blind, they would paint the world out for him to see.

But to perform in front of strangers, in front of those cracking voices again…. he didn't know if he could do it or not.

* * *

"Natsu? Natsu? Are you there?"

"The stupid dragon-slayer'll be fine."

"Maybe I should hit him with a fish?"

"Don't do that, Happy," Natsu mumbled.

There were two sighs of relief and a snort.

"You were zoning out there," Gray remarked.

"Yeah, just thinking…."

"You can think?"

"Of course!" Lisanna replied cheerily. "Natsu's really smart! Right, Happy?"

"Aye sir! Um..I mean, ma'am!" Happy glanced at Natsu curiously. "But what WAS Natsu thinking about?"

Natsu laughed sheepishly. "About tonight, I was kinda freaking out about it." He scowled as Gray let out a triumphant 'I told you so!'

"What were you nervous about?" Lisanna inquired curiously.

"Everyone watching….I guess."

There was a thoughtful pause. Then, Happy chimed in.

"Hey, Natsu! Remember when I met you?"

"Yeah! You were saying something…about enimas..or was it animas…"

"Enigmas, smart one!" Gray snapped, only to be silenced by Lisanna's reproachful look.

"And?" Happy prodded Natsu.

"And you were talking about dreams! And wonders! And terrors! And magic!"

"Aye, aye! And that's what Fairy Tail's about. You're gonna make magic, you're gonna make dreams come true! So believe in yourself!"

"It's your moment to shine," Lisanna added. "Just be yourself. Be Natsu and you're going to amaze everyone in the audience."

"_No matter who you are. Howl your name to the heavens! Take to the skies! YOU ARE NATSU!"_

"I AAAAAMMMM NAAAAAAATTTTTSSSUUUUU!" Natsu bellowed, pumping his fist.

"AYE! HE'S NATSU!"

Lisanna's face lit up, and Gray rolled his eyes with a resigned groan. But there was a hint of pride in Gray's voice as he mumbled, "He's really 'fired up' now. So 'fired up' he's gonna end up burning everything down."

* * *

Outside the tent, Lucy watched the sky descend into swirls of blue. It was peaceful out here, peaceful enough to calm her nerves, peaceful like the crickets chirping and the fireflies glowing, a peaceful quie-

"I AAAAAMMMM NAAAAAAATTTTTSSSUUUUU!"

"AYE! HE'S NATSU!"

Lucy smiled.

Natsu was Natsu. And that was amazing.

* * *

A/N: Any quirks, queries, or qualms? Let me know!

... I haven't updated in almost four months.

*slams head against desk repeatedly* I must suffer the wrath of my angry self for having abandoned my Fanfic like that! RAAAAAWWWWRRRR!

Life swept me off my feet, and I was lost in the midst of it.

My sister was checking out Fanfic when she discovered "A Snapshot of the World". She later told me, "You had great reviews. Someone even said they would die if you didn't update."

I beamed at her. "Yeah, I've got the most wonderful reviewers ever." And then, I realized... Reviewers of a story I had neglected for almost four months.

This is mostly a filler about Natsu but I hope you enjoy it anyway ^^

It's such a tiny chapter but the next one will be much longer...Hopefully!

Thank you so much for being such dedicated and amazing readers. I just...gaaah, I can't thank you enough. It's beautiful. It's uplifting. It's...the joys of becoming a Fanfic author.

The joys of writing, you've all motivated me further :)

People ask me how I've changed the world  
And I'll say, "I wrote today!"  
And then, they'll call me stupid  
But that's okay. Here's what I'll say:  
Quit it with the big numbers!  
Grades used to mean the world to me, those miserable numbers that  
took over my life! Does happy really mean a 100?! Or is a 93 not enough?  
Forget how many likes I have on Facebook! Forget how many views I have on my blog!  
If I changed one life, it would make all the difference to me.  
And so, I write. I write because writing is bits and pieces of the truth.  
Adam and Eve ate fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. They knew too much of the truth and they despaired.  
But writing is bits and pieces of the truth. Writing sure is powerful.  
Writing's laugh-producing, it's tear-inducing, it's life-infusing!  
It's a new year, 2013.  
A lopsided number, but it's a fresh new start.  
Happy New Year, everyone! Here's to another year we're alive!  
Here's to another year we can try to make resolutions!  
Here's to another year! People are born, people die.  
People are married, people are divorced.  
You and I get happy. You and I get depressed.  
Everything changes.  
You think that we could change the world, though?  
So I write. I write madly and stupidly, but I write anyway.


	10. The tumbling dominoes

"It's time. That is, time for what?" Rogue murmured, folding up the Fairy Tail poster. Shadows flickered across his face and a tattered scarf wrapped around his mouth, marking his expression as an indecipherable one.

Laughter hitched in Sting's throat. "For the end of the world. And the start of the new one!"

"Frosch has never seen Sting so excited," Frosch whispered to Lector, who only scoffed, "Of course he is! He's about to meet THE Natsu."

Frosch frowned. "THE Natsu?"

"Yeah! Natsu's as important to Sting as Gajeel is to Rogue!"

"Oh…I see…."

"And _that's _why," Sting drawled, "we're not gonna follow Sabertooth's plan!"

"So what do you suggest?" Rogue replied dryly.

There was a pause. A teetering, stifling pause, amid all the noise of their surroundings.

White jagged teeth ripped through the silence. "We're gonna burn it down. _Everything_."

A trembling Frosch slid behind Lector, eyes wide with fear, and Rogue only narrowed his dark eyes before nodding. "Let's go, then."

And with that, they merged into the crowd of chattering people surrounding Fairy Tail's large striped tent.

* * *

"Are you ready?"

"Huh?" Natsu mumbled. He was promptly smacked on the forehead by an irritated hand.

"Geez, Natsu!" Lucy wailed. "Don't forget we have to perform in this too!"

"Yeah?" Natsu asked with a goofy grin. Lucy didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that so she settled with burying her face into her hands. A calloused hand rubbed her shoulder and Lucy looked up to see Natsu smiling at her. "Just kidding, of course I know! Just wanted to make you laugh!"

"Ha ha. Happy?"

"If that's the best you can do, I'll have to teach you how to laugh properly! You usually laugh quiet but you should know the laugh so loud you're rolling on the floor kinda laugh!" Natsu declared. Though, his eyes softened and Lucy was reminded of when they'd first met.

Of how she'd fallen under the spell of those beautiful inky irises and silver pupils, breath whisked away by the whirling galaxies captured inside those lovely eyes that spoke of fairies fluttering in the moonlight to the waltz of dragons and fireflies. Those eyes were…magic.

And it was with those magic eyes, he looked at her, and said, "Though, you've already learned lots here. Like how to let yourself be loved and love your own nakama."

Lucy had never thanked the stars for the destiny she'd been given but then again, she was too lucky to have met someone like Natsu.

Far too lucky. The luckiest out of all the Heartphilias.

What was it like, to cherish someone? Lucy knew far too well that to love someone was dangerous-people broke far too easily. But…maybe it was worth it this time. For this special, fire-breathing, magical person.

Heart aching, Lucy reached over to squeeze Natsu's hand. "You too. You're now a proud, fierce mage of Fairy Tail, Natsu. "

"Yeah." With his thumb, Natsu gently stroked the back of Lucy's hand, tracing little stars and flames against her smooth skin, and Lucy turned to kiss Natsu's temple.

They sat there like that, until Evergreen poked her head in, followed by a curious Bisca.

For a moment, there was a terrible awkward silence. Then, Evergreen snickered and Bisca cooed, "Aren't they so adorable?"

Lucy hastily pushed Natsu away, squeaking. "Wha? What're you talking about, Bisca?"

"Oh, leave the poor girl alone! You're just jealous of them!" Evergreen piped up.

Bisca flushed. "I..I just have to confess to Alzack! We're so close that we don't need words to convey our feelings. It's better than you and Elfman!"

"Why, you-!"

"Juvia suggests that the both of you stop fighting!" Juvia turned towards Natsu and Lucy. "It's your turn to perform, Natsu-san, Lucy-san. Good luck! Oh, and don't forget to watch the wonderful Gray-sama's performance; he's right after you two! " With hearts popping out her eyes, she gave them a dreamy smile before shoving the bickering Bisca and Evergreen to the backstage.

Both Natsu and Lucy sighed in relief as the argument faded away ("Don't get in the way, Juvia! You're the worst out of all of us! You've got no chance with Gray!" "Wh-WHAT?! How dare you?!).

"Well, I guess we should go up, then?" Natsu ventured.

"Yeah. Let's surprise them."

* * *

"Aaand noooow…the marvelous Natsu and the gorgeous Lucy!" Happy announced.

Natsu stood there, wreathed in the crowd's silence and expectant eyes.

He stood there, breaths muffled by his scarf, and a breeze tugged at him.

_Burning bright, brighter than ever._

Flames burst from his palms and he felt the ground cracking beneath his feet, the seal of the dragon glowing.

_A dragon, rearing his head up, scales glinting, borne anew from the ashes._

He let the flames immerse his whole body, until his very skin was singing along with the crackling maws of sparking crimson and burnished gold, and everything was smeared with smoke.

_Let the fire breathe life into the very last night, until he of the majestic rulers of the sky becomes the fire itself._

He sucked in the world, filling his lungs with the wraiths of the wind. _1…2….3…. "FIRE DRAGON'S HOWL!" _And let it out, in an explosion of vibrant fireballs that danced along with howling gusts, swirled around him, and he could _see again._

_Body and soul fused together, and now there is only raw, brilliant, terrible POWER._

He was POWER.

Natsu slammed his fists against the ground, and from the earth crept vines of fire, shooting upward only to curl around Natsu, wrapping him up in a veil of flames.

For a moment, there was only a silhouette of Natsu, blurred in the grasp of the fire.

Then, he let out a deafening roar and the vines were stripped away by the resonating echoes, only to leave Natsu standing among a heap of ember petals.

Natsu lifted his arms, and behind him, the shadow of a dragon lifted its wings. The ember petals underneath him cracked, blossoming into a glowing lotus that weaved its way throughout, staining the air with the hues of sunrise and sunset.

_"Crimson Lotus! Exploding Flame Blade!" _The lotus scattered into gleaming sword blades that plunged downwards, spiraling into the shape of a sparkling sun…

"_Loke! Aries!" _ There was Lucy's voice and-

"_Regulus Beam!" _Loke! A golden beam shot from Loke's hands, plunging towards the center of the circle of blades. There was a blinding flash, and clouds of dust arose, obscuring everyone's view.

"_Wool Bomb!" _ That was Aries, sending shrouds of pink to blow away the dust and lulling the audience into a relaxed trance.

As the dust blew away, the audience gasped, fixated on the glittering sun embellished onto the ground, too distracted to notice Lucy calling out Sagittarius and Taurus.

The moment of realization came seconds later, as Taurus, flexing his muscles, hefted Lucy up into the air, and Sagittarius strung his bow, arrows thudding into the sun emblem.

And then, the finale! Natsu looked up to see Lucy performing a front flip midair, before tumbling down, down, down…

Without hesitating, Natsu raced over just in time for Lucy to drop into his arms.

YES! He and Lucy had practiced this over and over again. Every single time before this, the two of them had ended up collapsing in one huge heap.

This time, though, Natsu, panting, managed to stand up firmly, Lucy cradled against his chest.

Lucy slid out of his arms to stand next to him. Wordless, she clasped his hand, and the both of them bowed.

…

There was quiet.

A very looooong, drawn out quiet.

….

And then, suddenly, as Natsu's eyesight blurred into darkness, the crowd burst into tumultuous applause, clapping so loudly, so enthusiastically it felt like the earth was shaking, cheering and shrieking, "Encore! Encore!"

Natsu was smiling so much his face hurt.

* * *

"Now."

And then, the applause suddenly turned into screams.

* * *

A/N: Any quirks, queries, or qualms? Let me know!

Terrible cliffhanger is terrible cliffhanger. I'm sorry ;_;

Meaning. Never have I thought a tiny Fanfiction story could hold meaning, but because of you, it's become meaningful.

Writing this, I've laughed and I've cried. I've hoped again like Lucy and believed in miracles like Natsu. I've felt _meaning _again.

Through 'A Snapshot of the World', I've glimpsed the hidden truths of so many other worlds.

Thank you, you beautiful, marvelous souls, for keeping 'A Snapshot of the World' alive ;D

Huzzah! Here's an incredibly long poem^^

They tell me that  
I shouldn't cry  
that  
apart from moisturizing your eyes,  
these tears  
have no purpose.  
They tell me that  
I shouldn't have tattoos  
that  
labeled as a wild punk, a rampant teenager,  
Who knows only of reckless decisions stitched into skin,  
I will be seen as foolish and unprofessional,  
cast away by the job interviewers and looked down on by all of society.  
So instead,  
Instead of crying,  
I breathe loudly, trying to cram all the world through my nostrils and into every nook and cranny of my body,  
each gulp of air rattling through my constricting lungs,  
liquid freedom surging through my veins; sizzling, crackling electricity leaping along threadbare wires.  
Instead of tattooing,  
I let ink dribble from my grimy fingernails  
onto my left arm, because only my right hand that knows rhyme and reason can  
trace these silenced thoughts onto my skin.  
I have been marked by pen and author of soul,  
And I remember, that these will last the shortest of forevers but at least, I  
remember. At least, I was there.  
And then, God was shouting  
"HEY! IT'S OK!"  
It's OKAY! like  
tucked into bed, with the blankets wrapped around snugly,  
and it's all warmth, and  
you know? ...it's okay.  
They tell me I should be out in the open, with loud everyone but-!  
I adore corners,  
satin sheets, like how the dimensions come together,  
standing at the very edge of two worlds, and I'm rooted  
to the very knobbly core, of swirls of wood and tendrils of thought.  
They tell me that likability's all bright smiles and bold charm and loud conversations but-!  
I don't like being set on fire,  
tearing through people , burnt crisp and all, but unscathed, flitting about this social butterfly  
with a crumpled face made of crumbling teeth and crashing laughter  
I prefer warmth,  
a real tender warmth,  
that seeps through, radiating from an arched spine all the way to earthly, wiggling toes,  
that _means _so much, in a quiet, honest way, to have cherished someone.  
If I of the rejected being,  
they tell me  
can't cry  
can't get tattoos  
can't sit in corners  
can't be quiet and whispery

I the rejected being  
ALREADY AM.  
you know?...it's okay!


End file.
